1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a machine for separating the sections of a bird's wing rapidly without cutting into the bones.
2. Description of the Related Art
Domesticated birds (poultry) and wild birds are consumed in large numbers throughout the world. Bird processing machines are well known to increase the speed with which a bird carcass is turned into desirable cuts of meat. However, many cuts require manual manipulation of the carcass due to the complexity and variability of the carcass and the accuracy desired by those who purchase the cuts of meat.
Poultry wings can be prepared for eating from various cuts, most of which require one section of the wing to be separated from other sections. Separating bird wings into such cuts requires one to separate the three bones of the wing from one another by severing the muscle, skin and connective tissue on each bone. The drumette is the most muscular section of the wing and is attached at one end to the body. The wingtip is the least muscular and farthest from the body, and the midwing connects the drumette to the wingtip.
Some common ways of separating the three sections of the wing include manual cutting, which is slow and somewhat dangerous, and only as effective as the workers carrying out the method. Additionally, machines have been designed for separating poultry wings into their respective sections. U.S. Pat. No. 4,207,653 to Gasbarro and U.S. Pat. No. 5,496,210 to Davis, which are incorporated herein by reference, disclose machines for carrying out the separation process automatically. In the typical environment in which these machines are used, poultry carcasses are placed on holding structures and conveyed down an assembly line. Workers on the line cut whole wings off of each carcass and place the whole wings into one of the machines.
One disadvantage of prior art machines is their tendency to cut into the bones of the wings. Each bone is connected to an adjacent bone by connective tissue, such as skin, tendons and ligaments. In order to separate the sections of the wings in the most desirable manner, one separates the connective tissue between the bones without the blade or other cutting implement cutting into the bones. This is because cutting into the bone can result in bone shards that are undesirable.
Although they are faster and safer than cutting wings manually, prior art machines typically cut the bones in bird wings, thereby creating shards of bone that make the cuts undesirable. Therefore, the need exists for a machine that separates the sections of poultry wings efficiently and without forming shards.